1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an arrangement for severing the belly flaps of decapitated fish opened at their bellies in fish processing machines, which belly flaps encompass the belly cavity and include the pinbones (epipleuralia) and/or the ribs, the arrangement comprising a conveyor conveying the fish by engaging their backs with the plane of decapitation leading, a guide defining a path of the fish and supporting them in their belly cavity by means of at least one supporting edge, a severing device including at least one knife, preferably a pair of driven circular knives extending into the path of the fish, and being arranged to vary its position in respect of the supporting edge, and detecting means to be actuated by the fish to be processed.
2. Description of Prior Art
German Patent Publication No. 26 12 074 discloses a device for severing the belly flaps and/or pinbones of block fillets. In this device a circular disc embraced by a rope-like conveyor is used. The block fillet is supplied to the ascending wedge of the conveyor onto the disc and is conveyed by clamping along the back-comb-line of the fish. In this manner the block fillet is supplied to a cutting device which has been adjusted to a cutting position before the arrival of the fillet by detecting the duration of its passage in a detecting device which cutting position is proportional to the block fillet's length detected in this manner. A displacement of the cutting device out of the path of the block fillet then occurs by means of a further detecting device independent of the respective size of the block fillet, the severing of the belly flaps thus being effected.
3. Objects of the Invention
It is the main purpose of the present invention to suggest an arrangement by which the expenditure in controlling steps and elements is reduced and which can be applied more universally.